We made it back to one of the most legendary events in RC racing — the Psycho Nitro Blast (PNB). After a multi-year absence, the Adrenaline RC Racing team headed to Tennessee for three days of competitive nitro and electric buggy racing, and it did not disappoint. Whether you're a die-hard nitro racer or just getting into the hobby, this event is everything RC racing should be.
Here's a full breakdown of everything that went down — from the track walk to qualifying day drama.
Track Walk: One of the Best PNB Layouts We've Ever Seen
Before the first practice lap even turned, we got eyes on the freshly built track and the verdict was immediate: this might be the best PNB layout to date.
The key word all weekend was flow. Rather than a layout designed to punish drivers with survival-style features, this year's track was built to let racers actually race each other. That's the difference between a great event and a frustrating one — when the track rewards clean, consistent driving rather than just outlasting chaos.
Feature Breakdown
Here's what the course had in store:
The Straightaway & Opening Section A full-throttle opening straight feeds into a tabletop, followed by a double-double combination. There's a small hump right at the pit lane exit to watch out for on the first lap.
The Triple Plenty of run-up means virtually every car in every class should be making this as a triple. A bailout double is possible if you bobble the takeoff, but the expectation is a clean triple for anyone running competitive pace.
The Step On, Step Off Hands down the most impressive feature on the track. Built by the legendary Bobby Moore, this massive step on/step off combination drew immediate attention during the track walk. Despite its visual scale, it's not as punishing as it looks — there's enough lip on each takeoff to keep things manageable. But watching cars get massive air time through here is going to be unforgettable all weekend.
The Kicker One of the more unique features is an aggressive kicker that doesn't even fold flat — it's that steep. The intended line is to use it as a brake point and land on the top. Given how late-race desperation plays out at 30-minute nitro A-mains, this feature could absolutely see a full-send moment from someone fighting for position on the final lap.
The Bank Double The closing double feeds into a banked wall, which nitro cars in particular will want to use as a slingshot rather than a traditional inside line. There's more lip than it appears from the driver stand, and the lander sits slightly higher than the takeoff — something you can only really appreciate once you're standing on the track itself.
The Switchback Roller & Whoops A smooth roller followed by a more aggressive kick roller rounds out the technical sections. The whoops demand a light touch — getting crossed up through here can send a car into a donut and kill momentum.
Practice Day: 6 AM Start, Lessons Learned
Practice day kicked off at 6 AM — hence the "psycho" in the name. The team set up in the Adrenaline RC tent with both an electric buggy and nitro buggy prepped and ready to go.
Setup going in:
- Electric buggy running Cayote 6500 batteries and full Cayote Electronics package
- Adrenaline RC AR 2026 servo on the eBuggy
- Starting on JConcepts green Relapse tires — a leftover set from a previous event, perfect for early green-track running
- Nitro buggy tuned relatively rich from home conditions (colder weather at time of tuning vs. warmer Tennessee temps)
What We Learned
The track came in significantly as the day went on, which meant tire selection became a real talking point by the afternoon session. The initial runs on green Relapses felt good, and adding red FDJ sauce helped dial in grip as the track built up.
A front link adjustment recommended by Lee Setszer made an immediate difference in the nitro buggy's feel through the slower technical sections. A shorter front link = more reactive steering response where you need it most.
By the end of the day, both cars were feeling strong. The nitro buggy's fuel mileage was tracking toward a 9:41 tank (well clear of a 6:45 fuel window for a two-stop A-main strategy). The electric buggy was running consistent mid-41-second laps — not the fastest in class, but clean and repeatable.
One highlight of the day: Uriel, an Adrenaline RC driver attending his first-ever large-scale RC race, was in the tent learning the ropes. His take on the step on/step off — "when it all connects, it's just so good" — summed up the track perfectly.
Qualifying Day: The Good, The Great, and The Mechanical
Qualifying consisted of two five-minute rounds for the pro classes. With only two rounds, there's almost no margin for error — you need at least one clean, consistent run to lock in a solid qualifying result.
Round 1 — Solid Foundation
Electric Buggy (Race 22): One of the most consistent runs of the entire weekend. A single bobble on the final lap — estimated at about 1.2 seconds lost — was essentially a non-factor in the overall result. Finishing position: 17th for the round. For a return to big-event racing after several years away, that's a result to build on.
Nitro Buggy (Race 27): A 44-second opening lap after a first-lap flip set the tone, but the run recovered well after that. The joker lane strategy didn't pay off quite as planned (came out right into traffic), but the final few laps were clean. Finishing position: 20th for the round.
Round 2 — A Tale of Two Runs
Electric Buggy: This is where tire selection became the story. Running a set of Relapses that had seen some use, the track had come in significantly more than anticipated. The tires ballooned up, the car turned twitchy, and one moment even looked like a tire was coming unglued (it wasn't — the grip was so aggressive it tucked the body up). The run was inconsistent and didn't improve on Q1. Lesson filed away: fresher tires on the electric car next time.
Nitro Buggy: After a strong inter-round practice session that produced some of the best lap times of the weekend, confidence was high going into Q2. Then, early in the warm-up lap, a tumble led to a rod end splitting right down the seam line on the back portion of the track. Race over before it began.
The mechanical failure was gutting given how well the car had been driving — but that's racing. A new rod end was already in the parts bag, measured and installed before the end of the night.
The Road to Mains
Despite the Q2 heartbreak on the nitro side, both cars head into main day in competitive shape:
- Electric buggy will line up with a fresh set of tires and cooler morning temperatures working in its favor for the 10-minute main
- Nitro buggy is mechanically sorted and driving well — the goal is to bump up through the B main and make some noise in the 20-minute format
The biggest takeaway from two days of racing: the cars are good, the setup is dialed, and the driver knows where the track limits are. Qualifying pace was respectable for a first PNB appearance in several years, and mains are where everything gets decided anyway.
Shop the Build
Running similar gear? Here's what was in the cars at PNB: